Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Including means to hold or retard hinged members against...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-03
2003-03-18
Hartmann, Gary S. (Department: 3671)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Including means to hold or retard hinged members against...
C016S337000, C016S374000, C248S917000, C248S919000, C248S920000, C248S923000, C361S689000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06532628
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors, and more particularly, to a hinge assembly fitted to move in association with an LCD monitor supporting member for adjusting a tilting angle of an LCD monitor.
2. Background of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the LCD monitor
1
is rotatably mounted on the hinge assembly
3
fitted on a supporting member
2
provided for supporting the LCD monitor with respect to a floor. The supporting member
2
has a stand width larger than a width of the LCD monitor
1
for safe supporting of the LCD monitor for a tilt of the monitor.
The hinge assembly
3
, adjusting a tilting angle of the LCD monitor
1
, is provided with central brackets
5
fixed to the supporting member
2
, rotating brackets
4
for coupling the LCD monitor
1
at opposite ends, a shaft (not shown) for coupling the fixed brackets
5
and the rotating brackets
4
, friction brackets
7
on the shaft in contact with the rotating brackets
4
, and springs
6
on the shaft for pressing the rotating bracket
4
to the friction bracket
7
for causing friction.
The monitor is coupled to the supporting member
2
through the foregoing hinge assembly
3
, such that only the LCD monitor
1
is rotated while the supporting member
2
is fixed.
However, since the friction is made to be caused by surface to surface contact of components of the hinge assembly, the LCD monitor supporting structure with the hinge assembly requires the user much force in moving the LCD monitor such that a fine tuning of a tilting angle of the LCD monitor is not convenient. Moreover, it is required to hold the supporting member when it is intended to move the LCD monitor for prevention of movement of the supporting member together with the LCD monitor.
Furthermore, the supporting member can not but have size and weight larger and heavier in proportion to size and weight of the LCD monitor because the supporting member is required to sustain the LCD monitor at a tilted poise or rotation, that reduces utilization of a space the LCD monitor is located, as much.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a hinge assembly that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge assembly movable between the LCD monitor and the supporting member, for easily adjusting a tilting angle of the LCD monitor without exerting an excessive force.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the hinge assembly includes a horizontal shaft, a monitor rotator having one part fixed to the shaft for rotating as one unit with the shaft, and the other part fixed to a rear part of the monitor, supporting member rotators rotatably coupled to opposite sides of the shaft, a supporting member fixed to the supporting member rotators for supporting the monitor at a rear part thereof from a floor at an angle to the monitor, and elastic members provided to the shaft such that one end thereof is held at the monitor rotator fixed to the monitor, and the other end thereof is held at the supporting member rotators fixed to the supporting member, for providing an appropriate torque between the monitor and the supporting member according to an angle between the monitor and the floor, thereby making an easy adjustment of a tilting angle of the LCD monitor standing on a floor as the hinge assembly couples the LCD monitor and the supporting member.
The elastic members are a plurality of torsion springs coupled on opposite sides of the shaft.
The monitor rotator includes a horizontal part having fastening holes for screw fastening to a rear part of the monitor, a fastening part extended from a central part of the horizontal part toward the shaft having screw holes for screw fastening with a central part of the shaft, and holding holes adjacent to corners between the horizontal part and the fastening part for holding ends of the elastic members.
Each of the supporting member rotators includes a vertical leaf having fastening holes for screw fastening to the supporting member, and a coupling leaf of a disk form formed as a unit with the vertical leaf having a central hole for inserting to the shaft.
The coupling leaf of the supporting member rotator includes a limiting slot formed as a portion of an outer circumference of the disk is cut away dispose a part of the supporting member rotator therein, for limiting a rotation angle of the supporting member rotator by a length of the limiting slot.
The shaft includes screw holes in a central part for fastening the monitor rotator thereto, and guide walls at opposite sides of the central part for alignment with the monitor rotator, for being pressed by the elastic members to cause friction when the shaft rotates.
The hinge assembly further includes friction washers inserted in opposite ends of the shaft in contact with the supporting member rotators, and nuts on outer sides of the friction washers for pressing the friction washer against the supporting member rotators.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5022778 (1991-06-01), Lu
patent: 5109571 (1992-05-01), Ohshima et al.
patent: 5197704 (1993-03-01), Kitamura
patent: 5467504 (1995-11-01), Yang
patent: 5473794 (1995-12-01), Kobayashi
patent: 5906010 (1999-05-01), Suzuki
patent: 6038739 (2000-03-01), Katoh
patent: 6145797 (2000-11-01), Uehara
patent: 6154925 (2000-12-01), Miura
patent: 6231021 (2001-05-01), Hong
patent: 6347433 (2002-02-01), Novin et al.
Hartmann Gary S.
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
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